Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
14637844) - 2021 - CRC - 3/26/21
2 Introduction
Using this Manual
To quickly locate information about the
vehicle, use the Index in the back of the
manual. It is an alphabetical list of what is
in the manual and the page number where
it can be found.
Danger, Warning, and Caution
Warning messages found on vehicle labels
and in this manual describe hazards and
what to do to avoid or reduce them.
{Danger
Danger indicates a hazard with a high
level of risk which will result in serious
injury or death.
{Warning
Warning indicates a hazard that could
result in injury or death.
Caution
Caution indicates a hazard that could
result in property or vehicle damage.
A circle with a slash through it is a safety
symbol which means“Do not,” “Do not do
this,” or“Do not let this happen.”
Symbols
The vehicle has components and labels that
use symbols instead of text. Symbols are
shown along with the text describing the
operation or information relating to a
specific component, control, message, gauge,
or indicator.
M:Shown when the owner’s manual has
additional instructions or information.
*: Shown when the service manual has
additional instructions or information.
0: Shown when there is more information
on another page — “see page.” Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols that may
be found on the vehicle and what they
mean. See the features in this manual for
information.
u:
Air Conditioning System
G:Air Conditioning Refrigerant Oil
9:Airbag Readiness Light
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
$:Brake System Warning Light
9:Dispose of Used Components Properly
P:Do Not Apply High Pressure Water
B:Engine Coolant Temperature
_:Flame/Fire Prohibited
H: Flammable
[:Forward Collision Alert
R:Fuse Block Cover Lock Location
+:Fuses
j:ISOFIX/LATCH System Child Restraints
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34 Seats and Restraints
Seats and Restraints
Head Restraints
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Front Seats
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Power Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Memory Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Heated and Ventilated Front Seats . . . . . 41
Rear Seats
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Heated Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Third Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Seat Belts
Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Buckle To Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
How to Wear Seat Belts Properly . . . . . . 49
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Seat Belt Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . 54
Seat Belt Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Seat Belt Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Replacing Seat Belt System Parts after aCrash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Airbag System
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
When Should an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . 58
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . 59
How Does an Airbag Restrain? . . . . . . . . . 59
What Will You See after an AirbagInflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Adding Equipment to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Replacing Airbag System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Child Restraints
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Infants and Young Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Child Restraint Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children(LATCH System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Replacing LATCH System Parts After a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Rear Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Front Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Head Restraints
Front Seats
{Warning
With head restraints that are not
installed and adjusted properly, there is a
greater chance that occupants will suffer
a neck/spinal injury in a crash. Do not
drive until the head restraints for all
occupants are installed and adjusted
properly.
The vehicle's front seats have adjustable
head restraints in the outboard seating
positions.
Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Seats and Restraints 35
Adjust the head restraint so that the top of
the restraint is at the same height as the
top of the occupant's head. This position
reduces the chance of a neck injury in a
crash.
The height of the head restraint can be
adjusted.
To raise or lower the head restraint, press
the button located on the side of the head
restraint, and pull up or push the head
restraint down, and release the button. Pull
and push on the head restraint after the
button is released to make sure that it is
locked in place.
The front seat outboard head restraints are
not removable.
Rear Seats
Second Row Seats
The vehicle’s second row seats have
adjustable head restraints in the outboard
seating positions.
The height of the head restraint can be
adjusted. Pull the head restraint up to raise
it. Try to move the head restraint to make
sure that it is locked in place.
To lower the head restraint, press the
button, located on the top of the seatback,
and push the head restraint down. Try to
move the head restraint after the button is
released to make sure that it is locked in
place.Always adjust the head restraint so that the
top of the restraint is at the same height as
the top of the occupant's head.
If you are installing a child restraint in the
rear seat, see
“Securing a Child Restraint
Designed for the LATCH System” under
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH System) 072.
Third Row Seats
The vehicle’s third row seats have head
restraints in the outboard seating positions
that cannot be adjusted up or down.
The third row outboard head restraints are
not removable.
The third row outboard head restraints are
designed to be folded.
The head restraint can be folded to allow for
better visibility when the rear seat is
unoccupied.
When folding the seatback down, the head
restraint will automatically fold out of the
way as the seat is folded down.
Return the lowered head restraint to the
upright position until it locks into place.
Push and pull on the head restraint to make
sure it is locked.
Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Seats and Restraints 37
{Warning
The power seats will work with the
ignition off. Children could operate the
power seats and be injured. Never leave
children alone in the vehicle.
To adjust the seat:
.Move the seat forward or rearward by
sliding the control forward or rearward.
.Raise or lower the front part of the seat
cushion by moving the front of the
control up or down.
.Raise or lower the entire seat by moving
the rear of the control up or down.To adjust the seatback, see
Reclining
Seatbacks 037.
To adjust the lumbar support, see Lumbar
Adjustment 037.
Lumbar Adjustment
Press and hold the control forward to
increase or rearward to decrease support.
Reclining Seatbacks
{Warning
Sitting in a reclined position when the
vehicle is in motion can be dangerous.
Even when buckled up, the seat belts
cannot do their job.
The shoulder belt will not be against
your body. Instead, it will be in front of
you. In a crash, you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt could go up over your
abdomen. The belt forces would be there,
not at your pelvic bones. This could cause
serious internal injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is
in motion, have the seatback upright.
Then sit well back in the seat and wear
the seat belt properly.
Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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42 Seats and Restraints
lights next to the buttons indicate three for
the highest setting and one for the lowest.
If the heated seats are on high, the level
may automatically be lowered after
approximately 30 minutes.
The passenger seat may take longer to
heat up.
Auto Heated and Ventilated Seats
When the vehicle is on, this feature will
automatically activate the heated or
ventilated seats at the level required by the
vehicle’s interior temperature.
The active high, medium, low, or off heated
or ventilated seat level will be indicated by
the manual heated or ventilated seat
buttons on the center stack. Use the manual
heated or ventilated seat buttons on the
center stack to turn auto heated or
ventilated seats off. If the passenger seat is
unoccupied, the auto heated or ventilated
seats feature will not activate that seat. The
auto heated or ventilated seats feature can
be programmed to always be enabled when
the vehicle is on.
SeeVehicle Personalization 0115. Remote Start Heated and Ventilated Seats
During a remote start, the heated or
ventilated seats, if equipped, can be turned
on automatically. When it is cold outside,
the heated seats will turn on followed by
the heated steering wheel, if equipped.
When it is hot outside, the ventilated seats
turn on. The remote start heated or
ventilated seats may be canceled when the
ignition is turned on. Press the heated or
ventilated seat button to use the heated or
ventilated seats after the vehicle is started.
The heated or ventilated seat indicator lights
may not turn on during a remote start.
The temperature performance of an
unoccupied seat may be reduced. This is
normal.
The remote start heated or ventilated seats
may be enabled or disabled in the vehicle
personalization menu. See
Remote Vehicle
Start 013 and
Vehicle Personalization 0115.Rear Seats
Rear Seat Reminder
If equipped, the message REAR SEAT
REMINDER LOOK IN REAR SEAT displays
under certain conditions indicating there
may be an item or passenger in the rear
seat. Check before exiting the vehicle.
This feature will activate when a second row
door is opened while the vehicle is on or up
to 10 minutes before the vehicle is turned
on. There will be an alert when the vehicle
is turned off. The alert does not directly
detect objects in the rear seat; instead,
under certain conditions, it detects when a
rear door is opened and closed, indicating
that there may be something in the
rear seat.
The feature is active only once each time
the vehicle is turned on and off, and will
require reactivation by opening and closing
the second row doors. There may be an
alert even when there is nothing in the rear
seat; for example, if a child entered the
vehicle through the rear door and left the
vehicle without the vehicle being shut off.
The feature can be turned on or off. See
Vehicle Personalization 0115.
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Seats and Restraints 43
Rear Seat Adjustment
The second row seats slide forward for
more room.
To adjust the seat position:1. Remove objects on the floor in front of or on the second row seat, or in the seat
tracks on the floor.
2. Lift the lever below the seat cushion and slide the seat forward or backward.
Entering and Exiting the Third Row
{Warning
Using the third row seating position
while the second row is folded could
cause injury in a sudden stop or crash. Be
sure to return the seat to the passenger
seating position. Push and pull on the
seat to make sure it is locked into place.
{Warning
If the seatback and seat base are not
locked, the seat could move forward in a
sudden stop or crash and injure the
occupant. Always push and pull on the
seatbacks to be sure the seatback and
seat base are locked.
Caution
Folding a rear seat with the seat belts
still fastened may cause damage to the
seat or the seat belts. Always unbuckle
the seat belts and return them to their
normal stowed position before folding a
rear seat.
To access the third row from the driver side
(bench seat only):
1. Remove objects on the floor in front of or on the second row seat, or in the seat
tracks on the floor.
2. Make sure that the seat belt is unfastened and in the stowed position.
3. Pull the handle on top of the seat forward and pull the seat forward.
To access the third row from the
passenger side:
The second row passenger side seat can be
easily moved for third row entry or exit
with a forward-facing child restraint installed
Chevrolet Traverse Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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44 Seats and Restraints
using the LATCH system. Remove a
rear-facing child restraint before moving the
seat for third row entry or exit.
{Warning
Remove the child from the child restraint
before moving the seat forward for third
row entry or exit. Failure to do so may
result in injury to the child.
1. Remove objects on the floor in front of the second row seat, or in the seat
tracks on the floor.
2. Pull the handle on the top or side of theseat forward and pull the seat forward.
Returning the Seat to the Seating
Position
To return the second row seat to its normal
seating position:
1. Remove objects on the floor behind the second row seat or in the seat tracks on
the floor.
2. Push on the seatback until the seat is locked into place.
3. Push and pull on the seatback and seat cushion to make sure they are locked in
place.
4. Check that the seat belt is not under the seat cushion.
Reclining the Seatbacks
To recline the seatbacks:
1. Leaning rearward in the seat, pull thereclining seatback lever.
2. Move the seatback to the desired position, and then release the lever to
lock the seatback in place.
3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.
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48 Seats and Restraints
Why Seat Belts Work
When riding in a vehicle, you travel as fast
as the vehicle does. If the vehicle stops
suddenly, you keep going until something
stops you. It could be the windshield, the
instrument panel, or the seat belts!
When you wear a seat belt, you and the
vehicle slow down together. There is more
time to stop because you stop over a longer
distance and, when worn properly, your
strongest bones take the forces from the
seat belts. That is why wearing seat belts
makes such good sense.
Questions and Answers About Seat Belts
Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicle after acrash if I am wearing a seat belt?
A: You could be— whether you are
wearing a seat belt or not. Your chance
of being conscious during and after a
crash, so you canunbuckle and get out,
is much greater if you are belted.
Q: If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to wear seat belts?
A: Airbags are supplemental systems only.
They work withseat belts —not instead
of them. Whether or not an airbag is
provided, all occupants still have to
buckle up to get the most protection.
Also, in nearly all states and in all
Canadian provinces, the law requires
wearing seat belts.
Buckle To Drive
If equipped, this feature prevents the vehicle
from shifting out of P (Park) when Teen
Driver is active and the driver seat belt is
not buckled. See Teen Driver0171. If the
engine is running, the driver seat belt is not
buckled, and the brake pedal is pressed with
the vehicle in P (Park), a message displays in
the Driver Information Center (DIC). Buckle the driver seat belt to shift out of P (Park).
Shifting from P (Park) will be prevented once
for each ignition cycle. For some fleet
vehicles, shifting from P (Park) will be
prevented each time these conditions exist
whether Teen Driver is ON or OFF.
On some models, Buckle to Drive may also
prevent shifting out of P (Park) if a front
passenger is unbuckled under similar
conditions. A message displays in the DIC.
Buckle the front passenger seat belt to shift
out of P (Park). This feature may not allow
the vehicle to shift out of P (Park) if an
object, such as a briefcase, handbag, grocery
bag, laptop, or other electronic device, is on
the front passenger seat. If this happens,
remove the object from the seat or buckle
the seat belt to shift out of P (Park).
If the driver or present front passenger
remains unbuckled, the DIC message will
turn off after several seconds and the
vehicle can be shifted out of P (Park). See
“Seat Belts”
and“Child Restraints” in the
Index for information about the importance
of proper restraint use.